Winning the ball against Spain is only half the job. What the United States does next could tell us whether Emma Hayes’ team can dictate stretches of Saturday’s friendly or has to wait for an opening. The American forwards need possession they can use, not simply clearances they can chase.
Ashley Sanchez arrives with 20 goals in 27 NWSL appearances this season, bringing the form that has driven the NWSL Golden Boot race into a very different examination. Alongside options such as Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson, she gives Hayes plenty to work with. Getting those attackers into favorable positions is the challenge.
The reigning Olympic champions host the reigning world champions at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, October 10, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. ET. TBS and HBO Max carry the English-language broadcast. Spain is ranked No. 1, the United States No. 2, yet they’ve met only four times. Spain won the last encounter, 2–0 in Pamplona in 2022.
Hayes has these two matches to work with before the qualifying campaign begins. Beating El Salvador in a Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal would send the U.S. to Brazil in 2027; Spain has already qualified. The October 13 rematch in Chester, Pennsylvania, gives both coaches a second chance to act on what Saturday exposes.
Neither side has its full squad available. Injuries have ruled out Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey, with Kate Del Fava and Jaelin Howell called in. Spain is without Aitana Bonmatí, while Mariona Caldentey, Vicky López and goalkeeper Cata Coll withdrew. For the U.S., the absences leave decisions to make at center back and in midfield, precisely where Spain’s movement could cause problems.
The midfield test and the players who can change it
Claire Hutton and Lily Yohannes are two players to watch if selected. Their useful contributions might be easy to miss: checking over a shoulder before receiving, finding space beside a pressing opponent, or making a pass that allows the next player to turn forward. The U.S. doesn’t need to win a possession contest. It needs enough controlled attacks to stop its forwards becoming isolated.
Alexia Putellas is now at London City Lionesses following her departure from Barcelona. She and Patri Guijarro are reasons to watch Spain without following the ball. If either finds space behind the American midfield, a defender must decide whether to step out or protect the line. Spain can profit from the hesitation as well as from a wrong decision.
Spain’s attack also includes Bayern Munich’s Edna Imade, who has five goals in eight senior international appearances. Her presence gives American center backs another decision: how closely to follow the forward without losing track of players arriving around her. From the stands, those exchanges should be worth watching even when the ball is on the opposite side.
Rodman has the familiar setting of her Washington Spirit home stadium. The question is what sort of service she receives there. A pass that allows her to attack before Spain recovers its shape is an opportunity; a ball delivered with two defenders already waiting is a different proposition. Runs from Wilson or another central attacker could help turn a wide break into a chance inside the box.
Sanchez hasn’t appeared for the U.S. since October 2024. Her club form is a reason to give her opportunities, not a guarantee that a new attacking combination will immediately work. Watch whether she can arrive in scoring positions without leaving the midfield short of support.
Mallory Swanson could also make her first national-team appearance since the 2024 Olympic final. She attended the June camp without playing, so selection for this squad isn’t a promise of minutes. A return would add another attacking combination for Hayes to assess, rather than guarantee an immediate reunion of the Olympic front line.
Substitutions deserve attention, too. Spain coach Sonia Bermúdez has said she wants to try different approaches and assess players across the two games. The closing half-hour could therefore look different from the opening exchanges. A change in control may reflect a new midfield combination, not simply one team tiring.
Stadio will be at Audi Field, where the pregame program includes a retirement celebration for Crystal Dunn, the 2015 NWSL MVP during her time with the Spirit. It’s a reason to be in place before kickoff, before attention turns to the players pursuing the next World Cup.
Stadio’s prediction is a 1–1 draw, with limited confidence before the lineups are announced. We expect Spain to have longer spells of possession, but see a route to goal for the U.S. when it attacks before the visitors can reorganize. One well-executed break could deliver a result. Creating those openings repeatedly would offer Hayes something more useful to take into qualifying.
